History has a pair of unexpected heroes. Unai Marrero, a 24-year-old backup goalkeeper, born in San Sebastián and raised at Real Sociedad, saved two penalties in the shootout, from Alex Sørloth and Julián Alvarez, to put his boyhood club within a single shot of victory on what his captain had called the night of their lives.

Then he embraced Pablo Marín, the former ballboy who now walked towards him carrying all of their hopes on his shoulders, kissed him on the cheek and asked his teammate to take them over the line. So Marín, 22, and on as a substitute, did just that, stepping up and securing only the fourth Copa del Rey in La Real’s history, defeating Atlético Madrid from the spot.

Last time they won it, in 2021, it took a penalty. This time it took six of them; Mikel Oyarzabal, as he had done then, scored one during the 90 minutes on the way to a 2-2 draw and four more men did in the shootout. Back then, Real Sociedad had won the trophy in an empty stadium, unable to avoid the feeling that something was missing. Now at last they had done it in front of thousands of fans in Seville – there to see a trophy lifted for the first time in 38 years.

What a moment this was for Marín, for Marrero – already the shootout hero after another 2-2 draw in the last 16 and leaping about before all the kicks here – and for all of them, not least for their coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo. The man from Bergen County, New Jersey, with the degree in applied mathematics from Columbia University took over at La Real four months ago, revived a side that was threatened with relegation and now stood here in Seville at midnight holding the cup to the sky. Unknown back then, he could not be more loved in San Sebastián now. ‘It’s a joy to be able to bring joy to so many people,” he said.

Pablo Marín leads the celebrations after scoring the winning spot-kick for Sociedad. Photograph: Jose Breton/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

It had all happened on a long night with four goals, including the fastest in the competition’s history, and it had been done the hard way. But for Real Sociedad it had the perfect ending, a cup run that included three derbies and two penalty shootouts had concluded the way they wished it. “I was in my element,” Marrero said. “I’m still not conscious of what’s happened here.”

Let’s begin at the beginning. The very beginning. It was 13 years since Atlético had been in a cup final and 13 seconds before they were behind. From the kick-off Real Sociedad went back to Marrero who hit it long up the pitch, multiple failures leading to a moment no one could have imagined.

Nahuel Molina watched it sail over his head without moving. Giuliano Simeone was beaten by the bounce. Marc Pubill didn’t react. Matteo Ruggeri was beaten in the air. And when Gonçalo Guedes’ cross was met by Ander Barrenetxea’s head, Juan Musso was a little slow to react, the ball dropping in.

Atlético equalised early when Antoine Griezmann slipped inside and Alvarez let it run to Ademola Lookman. But Atlético were struggling and La Real took the lead again before half-time when Musso arrived too late for a free-kick and, instead of the ball, caught Guedes with his fist. From the penalty spot, Oyarzabal – the Real Sociedad captain who scored the game’s only goal when they won the cup in this same but empty stadium five years ago – was the calmest man at La Cartuja, scoring from the spot. This was his sixth final; he has scored in all of them.

Ander Barrenetxea (second right) celebrates after giving Real Sociedad the lead just 13 seconds into the game. Photograph: Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters

Atlético dominated possession thereafter but produced little until Alvarez finally broke their resistance with six minutes to go. Letting the ball move across the front of his body, taking the defenders out of the game as it went, he hit a superb finish past Marrero.

The pitch tilted, the momentum built, everything accelerating now, but somehow Atlético didn’t win it. Álex Baena put Marcos Llorente’s ball over the bar from four yards, Sørloth headed just wide, and then Johnny Cardoso was in, Marrero flashing out a palm to push past the post. And there was still time for Alvarez to win a free-kick deep into added time. He, though, hit the wall and Llorente struck the rebound wide, taking it to extra time.

Real were resurrected somehow, finding some strength that had seemed to have deserted them, belying the blow of victory slipping from their grasp. Llorente had to sprint back to stop Orri Óskarsson running through. Pubill dived to block with his chest, Atlético just about scrambling clear. Then Musso made a double save, first from Luka Sucic and second, even more remarkably, from Óskarsson. At the other end, Alvarez rattled the bar. All that in nine minutes.

Time though was slipping away, chances drying up, exhaustion and nerves taking over as penalties and Marrero’s moment came ever closer, Marín’s too. History was sealed with a save, one last shot and a kiss.